Premier Division: Derry City move up to third after earning win at Finn Harps
Last updated on .From the section Irish
David Parkhouse's two late goals helped Derry City earn a 3-2 win over 10-man Finn Harps in the Premier Division.
The win moves the Candystripes up to third place in the table although Bohemians will regain third spot if they avoid defeat in Sligo on Saturday.
Harps' Colm Deasy was sent off for a poor tackle on Ciaran Coll on 38.
Adrian Delap put Derry ahead on 53 with Nathan Boyle levelling on 75 but Parkhouse netted on 83 and in injury-time before Mikey Place's penalty.
However, Harps will look back on a controversial first-half incident which saw Boyle having a goal disallowed, with referee Neil Doyle appearing to adjudge that Sam Todd had fouled Derry keeper Nathan Gartside when he was attempting to clear the ball.
Replays indicated that Gartside's attempted clearance had merely struck ex-Derry City defender Todd, with another former Candystripe Boyle then striking the ball into the empty net, only for Connolly to award the visitors a free-kick.
Derry now one point behind Dundalk
Derry's win moves them to within a point of Dundalk after the champions were surprised 1-0 by St Patrick's Athletic.
Shamrock Rovers now lead the table by 10 points after they earned an impressive 3-1 away win over Cork City - although the Hoops have played at least two games more than all the other title contenders.
The only real downside for the Candystripes was the injury suffered by Coll, which led to him being stretchered off, following the shocking challenge from Deasy.
Harps' defeat was the seventh straight league loss for Ollie Horgan's side who are now five points adrift at the bottom of the table.
Despite the recent poor run, the Ballybofey club produced an energetic start to the contest and thought they had taken the lead on 26 minutes, only for Boyle's effort to be controversially disallowed.
As Derry responded, Barry McNamee delayed when well placed to shoot before man of the match Jamie McDonagh tested Harps keeper Ciaran Gallagher with an angled shot.
Deasy's dreadful challenge on Coll led to his red carding on 38 minutes but Harps should have taken the lead two minutes later as defender Keith Cowan headed a gilt-edged chance over the crossbar after poor Derry marking.
As 10-man Harps began to retreat after the break, Derry took the lead on 53 as Coll's replacement Delap fired to the net after his own deep cross had been played back in the danger zone by Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe.
But after appearing in control, Derry lost their way as Gartside needed to tip a Caolan McAleer shot on to the woodwork before Boyle levelled on 75 minutes following a lapse of concentration in the visitors' defence.
Harps substitute Daniel O'Reilly went close to putting the home side ahead before Parkhouse headed Derry back into the lead on 83 after a superb cross by his fellow Northern Ireland Under-21 international McDonagh.
Parkhouse extended Derry's lead in injury-time before Ally Gilchrist's jersey pull resulted in a Harps penalty which was netted by substitute Place in the final action of the contest.
